Knot device for neckties



y 1951 w. R. BURKE 2,553,437

KNOT DEVICE FOR NECKTIES Filed Sept. 20, 1948 aria ATTORNEY Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES 'eArsN'r OFFlCE KNOT DEVICE FOR NECKTIES William R. Burke, Washington, D. 0.

Application September 20, 1948, Serial No. 50,190

1 Claim.

This invention relates to neckties, and particularly to an improved form of knot simulat ,ing device for ties of the four-in-hand type.

Many proposals have been made for the elimination of the formation of the knot in neckties of the four-in-hand type, with the object of facilitating the donning and dofi'ing of such ties, and reducing the wrinkling and wear incident to formation of the usual knot therein. All

such proposals, so far as I am aware, have suf- H fered from inherent defects which have prevented the wide adoption of such schemes or devices, or the mechanism involved has been mechanically impractical, too costly, or too inconzvenient in use.

It is an object of the present invention to providea knot-simulating device which is extremely simple, economical and practical, and whose manner of use is so simple as to make it possible -to done a four-in-hand knot with a minimum of i"- effort.

An additional object of the invention is to provide such a device which will make it very simple to simulate a knotted tie whose free ends are of equal length, a result which many persons find it difficult to produce when knotting a tie in the conventional manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this type which is essentially of onepiece construction, having no moving parts requiring manipulation by the user, and which can therefore be manufactured by simple punchsimulate different shapes and styles of knots.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a slip-on type of knot simulating device which is provided with simple but effective means which are operative to maintain the same in its desired and intended position on the wearers tie, but in such a way as to eliminate any possibility of damaging the material of said tie. In this way, and due to the fact that the device does not involve any knotting or severe wrinkling of the material of the tie, the life of fourin-hand neckties is greatly increased. Likewise, since as is well known, the necessary handling of ties of this type in forming and maintaining a proper knot is the principal source of soiling reduces the inconvenience and expense of cleaning the ties at frequent intervals.

I have discovered that a convenient, simple and effective knot-simulating device can be obtained merely by properly shaping a piece of suitably stiff material so as to provide a wedging action upon the ends of the tie which has been placed about the wearers collar, and that the device can be caused to remain in its adjusted position without any danger of slipping away, if the interior surfaces of the wedging piece are provided with a covering of pile fabric, flock or similar intermeshing or entangling material for engaging the fabric of the tie itself.

I have found that the proper shaping of the slip-0n device, and the use of suitable pile or other entangling material on its inner surface, combine to provide a device of this kind which is extremely simple and economical to produce, and whose manner of application is nearly selfevident, so that no particular skill is needed to achieve the effect of a perfectly knotted tie.

The above and other objects and advantages of my invention will best be made apparent by reference to the following detailed specification of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in connection with the appended drawings, wherein Fig. l is a front elevational view of a knot simulating device in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof,

Fig. dis a sectional view taken on line 4--4 .of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the preferred manner of applying the device to a four-inhand cravat, and

Fig. 6 illustrates the final appearance of the device after placing on the unknotted tie. 40'

device is made, has certain basic requirements;

The material of which the knot-simulating it must be stiff and rigid enough to hold its preformed shape against the strains of normal use and handling, but sufficiently springy to allow slight temporary deformations of such shape in order to accommodate the differing thicknesses of the tie material about which it is to be wedged. Thin sheet metal, such as steel or springy brass or the like are suitable, it being understood that the device in final form will usually have applied thereto an ornamental covering of fabric or the like. Other materials which I have found suitable are sheet plastics, such as sheeted methyl methacrylate resins, known in the trade as Lucite or Plexiglas, or the like, and plasticimpregnated open mesh fabric such as scrim, crinoline, or the like.

the application of ornamental covering material.

The device itself, generally designated by numeral ID in the drawings, comprises a thin sheet of the basic material, such as metal or another material of the type defined above, formed into an incomplete, relatively flattened conical shape,

so that its lateral edges i2 and M, as seen in Fig. 1, taper downwardly toward one another with an included angle of the order of 60", which I have found produces a neat appearance and results in the desired wedging action when the device is applied. As seen in side elevation in Fig. 3, the front surface of the flattened cone, designated 16, may also taper downwardly with respect to the rear surface defined by the edges is of the mouth 2s formed by the gap in the conical surface, although this taper is not essential so long'as the taper from side to side of the device is sufficient to cause the lateral edges of the necktie surrounded thereby to be forced or crumpled into the tapered recesses along the side edges. The marginal portions N5 of the device may desirably be rolled over as indicated at 22 to facilitate the entry of the tie portions therein, as well as to secure under their terminal edges a removable or interchangeable covering of fabric or the like. The rolling of edges 22 also tends to reduce wear of the tie material as the device is forced along it.

The gap in what would otherwise be the rear surface of the flattened cone is defined by the edges [8, and as indicated in dash lines in Fig. 1, these edges may likewise be tapered downwardly to wedge the tie portions together as the device is applied, although such taper is not essential to'proper operation.

As indicated by numeral 24 in Figs. 2 and 4, the inner surface of the device may be lined with a fibrous material, such as pile fabric, mohair or the like, or a suitable coating of flock may be applied thereto by spraying or other methods well known in the coating art. This'frictional or en'- tangling layer is very important in the present invention, because its use ensures a permanent adjustment of the device in place, due to entanglement of the fibrous material with the fabric of the tie itself, and eliminates the need for any severe clamping action which might injure the tie and also makes it unnecessary to provide any sharp teeth or the like as used in certain prior art devices of this general class.

Numeral 26 in Fig. 4 designates an ornamental fabric covering for the device, applied throughout its outer surface and passing within the loops 22 formed beyond edges I8 of the device, thence preferably outwardly and around the loops so as While I herein refer to the material of which the device is to be formed to conceal the base material which would otherwise be exposed along the rearward surfaces of these loops. If it is desired to use removable or replaceable fabric covers for the device, these may be engaged between the extremities of loops 22, where they abut, or nearly abut the rear lateral surfaces, as at numeral 28 in Fig. 4, the resilience of the base material clamping them firmly in place on the device.

The preferred method of application of the device is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in the former of which the two ends of an ordinary four-inhand tie have been superimposed and then doubled lengthwise to enable the device I0 to be slipped thereover so as to encompass the superimposed tie portions. Thereupon, the device is slid upwardly toward the collar, finally arriving at the position shown in Fig. 6, from which it can be dislodged downwardly only by substantial force. When it is desired to remove the device, such a downward force is applied, whereupon the knot-simulating device may be slipped downwardly and oif the tie portions without causing any injury thereto, leaving the tie itself substantially unwrinkled.

While I have disclosed herein, in compliance with the patent statutes, a preferred embodiment of the invention, the details of constructionv and operation thereof may be varied widely without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A knot-simulating device for neckties compris ing a flattened frusto-conical shell of relatively rigid springy material, having a front surface which is bowed convexly forward and whose lateral edges are inclined toward one another at an angle of substantially 60 in a downwarddirection, a rearward integral extension from each of said lateral edges being also bowed convexl ..for ward and at an inclination tosaidfront surface, said extensions terminating short of one another to provide a vertical slot to receive the strands of a necktie, and frictional material carried byan inner surface of said shell to engageatiecompressed within the space. between the frontsurface and the rearwardextensions.

WILLIAM R. BURKE.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date-- 527,129 Sanguinette Oct. 9,1894 1,151,065 Terry Aug. 24, 1915 1,959,801 Scharlin May 22, 1934 1,968,401 Kapfer July 31, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date.

759,340 France Feb. 1, 1934 

